Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yosaloon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yosaloon’, characterized by its upright plant habit; dark green-colored foliage; freely and uniformly flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences; attractive two-tone orange bronze-colored ray florets; response time about 63 days; strong peduncles; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yosaloon’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Yosaloon’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Bogota, Colombia. Theobjective of the program is to create and develop new cut Chrysanthemumcultivars having inflorescences with desirable floret coloration andgood inflorescence form and substance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in January, 2001, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary selectionof Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number T3502, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofChrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number R326, not patented,as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Bogota,Colombia in June, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on itsdesirable ray floret color and good inflorescence form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Bogota, Colombia since August, 2002, has shownthat the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yosaloon have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Yosaloon’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Yosaloon’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.    -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.    -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences that are about 7 cm in        diameter.    -   5. Attractive two-tone orange bronze-colored ray florets.    -   6. Response time about 63 days.    -   7. Strong peduncles.    -   8. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and foliage        maintaining good substance and color for about two weeks in an        interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are taller than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more freely flowering        than plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have longer peduncles than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent        selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female        parent selection have light pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniformly flowering        than plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection        differ in ray floret coloration as plants of the male parent        selection have bright red-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of theChrysanthemum cultivar Madera, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,690.In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bogota, Colombia, plants of thenew Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Madera in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered much earlier and        more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Madera.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had darker colored ray        florets than plants of the cultivar Madera.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering stem of ‘Yosaloon’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of ‘Yosaloon’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in Bogota, Colombia during the summer in a polyethylene-coveredgreenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate thosegenerally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During theproduction of the cut flowers, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to25° C., night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 9° C. and light levelsranged from 3,000 to 4,000 footcandles. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages for typical flowering plants. The photographsand measurements were taken when plants were about two months old fromplanting.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar    Yosaloon.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number T3502,            not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number R326, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten to 14 days with soil            temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type cut flower.        -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About            109 cm. Spray diameter: About 13.25 cm. Stem diameter: About            5 mm. Internode length: About 3.3 cm. Texture: Pubescent;            longitudinally ridged. Color: 148B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:            About 8 cm. Width: About 5 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed; irregularly serrate;            sinuses parallel to slightly divergent. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescent; veins prominent on lower surface.            Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:            147A; venation, 147C. Developing and fully expanded foliage,            lower surface: 147B; venation, 147C. Petiole: Length: About            2.8 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 147C. Color,            lower surface: 148C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with            elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminals, arising from leaf axils. Ray florets develop            acropetally on a capitulum. Uniform flowering habit.        -   Fragrance.—Moderate; spicy.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower            in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other            times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development            can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at            least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to two weeks            of long day/short night conditions after planting followed            by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower            about 63 days later.        -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,            inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and            substance for about two weeks in an interior environment.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about            seven inflorescences per stem develop.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Depth (height):            About 3.5 cm. Disc diameter: No disc florets observed.            Receptacle diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacle height: About            1.1 cm.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Ovoid. Height: About 2 cm.            Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Color: 173A.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong to ligulate or quilled.            Surface: Concave. Aspect: Initially incurved, with            development, about 45° from vertical. Length: About 3.5 cm.            Width: About 8 mm. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous; velvety; longitudinally ridged. Number of            ray florets per inflorescence: About 205 arranged in about            18 whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: 170A to 170B.            When opening, lower surface: 172A. Fully opened, upper            surface: 164B; color becoming closer to 163B with            development. Fully opened, lower surface: 172D; color            becoming closer to 167D with development.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence/arrangement: About 24            arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 8 mm. Width:            About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.            Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:            Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 148A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 20.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Angle: About 20° to 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to            148A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:            Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma            color: Close to 1B. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color:            Close to 145B. Ovary color: Close to 157A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have    demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of about 4° C. and    high temperatures of about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yosaloon’ asillustrated and described.